High heat cheese is a bit soggy

[uncle eddie]

My last batch of jalapeno/cheddar summer sausage tastes great....BUT; The problem is with the high-heat cheese. It has the texture/consistency of - thick toothpaste. It still tastes fine and I will eat all of it, but I don't care for the cheese texture.

Procedure I (think I) used...

• Stuffed sausage into 3-inch chubs
• dried/smoked in MES40 at 150F for about 4-5 hours (if I recall correctly for this batch)
• Chubs went directly into the Sous Vide water bath at 142F - again - I think this was for about 5 hours
• Cut shots looked fine (thread = https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/winter-storm-jalapeno-cheddar-pork-summer-sausage.330085/)
• I section the "excess" sausage, shrink-wrap and deep-freeze.
• The sausage I am eating now came from the deep freeze...

This was the lowest temp I have done in the sous vide and for the longest time...

• Wondering if I need to go a bit higher sous vide temp/shorter time
• Wondering if the sausage wasn't fully "dried" during the smoking process - it was very cold and very windy
• Wondering...

 

[slavikborisov]

the texture of the cheese is different after its defrosted and there no good way around it unless you keep a small batch fridge eat it as you go. I found that the batches that i eat out of the fridge without freezing have the best cheese texture. now you could try (non hi temp cheese) like others have suggested and see if that makes a difference.

 

[SmokinEdge]

My last batch of jalapeno/cheddar summer sausage tastes great....BUT; The problem is with the high-heat cheese. It has the texture/consistency of - thick toothpaste. It still tastes fine and I will eat all of it, but I don't care for the cheese texture.

Procedure I (think I) used...

• Stuffed sausage into 3-inch chubs
• dried/smoked in MES40 at 150F for about 4-5 hours (if I recall correctly for this batch)
• Chubs went directly into the Sous Vide water bath at 142F - again - I think this was for about 5 hours
• Cut shots looked fine (thread = https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/winter-storm-jalapeno-cheddar-pork-summer-sausage.330085/)
• I section the "excess" sausage, shrink-wrap and deep-freeze.
• The sausage I am eating now came from the deep freeze...

This was the lowest temp I have done in the sous vide and for the longest time...

• Wondering if I need to go a bit higher sous vide temp/shorter time
• Wondering if the sausage wasn't fully "dried" during the smoking process - it was very cold and very windy
• Wondering...

Most of the problem, I think, is in the process. If you smoked for 4-5 hours at at 150 then SV for another 4-5 hours, that’s simply to long in heat. Once smoked at 150 for 4-5 hours the chubs should be around 110-120F internal. The SV finish should be as quick as possible to just finish IT. 142F in the SV is an odd temp selection. Did you ever check IT during the process?

 

[chopsaw]

Chubs went directly into the Sous Vide water bath at 142F - again - I think this was for about 5 hours

That time and temp for a 3" chub would be good for start to finish in the SV .
I do my SV chubs at 140 . Gives great texture , but that's a start to finish cook .

I suspect the cheese suffered from freezing . Never as good after being frozen . The moisture in the meat and cheese swells up when frozen and cuts the fibers .
I hardly ever freeze mine anymore . If I do , I wrap it in pink paper and hold it in the fridge to dry down some .

 

[uncle eddie]

Most of the problem, I think, is in the process. If you smoked for 4-5 hours at at 150 then SV for another 4-5 hours, that’s simply to long in heat. Once smoked at 150 for 4-5 hours the chubs should be around 110-120F internal. The SV finish should be as quick as possible to just finish IT. 142F in the SV is an odd temp selection. Did you ever check IT during the process?

Agree 142F is odd - I had it set on 145F, the water temp was actually 142F when checked with my calibrated thermometers.

The water bath was not intended to be that long (was shooting for 3 hours) but life got in the way. Was gone longer than expected.

 

[indaswamp]

I agree with SE.....

Were the chubs vac sealed in the SV or not? If not, then the water definitely softened up the cheese. remember that the high salt in the sausages will pull in water if naked in a SV bath....

 

[uncle eddie]

indaswamp Not sealed...Noted

 

[indaswamp]

There ya go....glad I could help. Hope this solves your issue.

 

[SmokinEdge]

indaswamp Not sealed...Noted

I don’t seal any of my SV sausages. No problem.
I believe, your trouble was time in temperature.

 

[paulgeorge]

My last batch of jalapeno/cheddar summer sausage tastes great....BUT; The problem is with the high-heat cheese. It has the texture/consistency of - thick toothpaste. It still tastes fine and I will eat all of it, but I don't care for the cheese texture.

Procedure I (think I) used...

• Stuffed sausage into 3-inch chubs
• dried/smoked in MES40 at 150F for about 4-5 hours (if I recall correctly for this batch)
• Chubs went directly into the Sous Vide water bath at 142F - again - I think this was for about 5 hours
• Cut shots looked fine
• I section the "excess" sausage, shrink-wrap and deep-freeze.
• The sausage I am eating now came from the deep freeze...

This was the lowest temp I have done in the sous vide and for the longest time... bubble letters

• Wondering if I need to go a bit higher sous vide temp/shorter time
• Wondering if the sausage wasn't fully "dried" during the smoking process - it was very cold and very windy
• Wondering...

The cheese you're using is likely melting too much due to the lower sous vide temperature and extended cooking time. Try raising the sous vide temperature to 150°F-155°F and reducing the time to 2-3 hours to ensure the sausage cooks through without over-heating the cheese. Also, make sure to fully dry the sausage during the smoking phase, as colder or windy conditions can hinder that process, potentially leading to excess moisture. If the cheese continues to behave this way, you could try a different type of cheese with a higher melting point or add the cheese later in the process to control its texture better.

 

[jameswilson30]

My last batch of jalapeno/cheddar summer sausage tastes great....BUT; The problem is with the high-heat cheese. It has the texture/consistency of - thick toothpaste. It still tastes fine and I will eat all of it, but I don't care for the cheese texture.

Procedure I (think I) used...

• Stuffed sausage into 3-inch chubs
• dried/smoked in MES40 at 150F for about 4-5 hours (if I recall correctly for this batch)
• Chubs went directly into the Sous Vide water bath at 142F - again - I think this was for about 5 hours
• Cut shots looked fine (thread = https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/winter-storm-jalapeno-cheddar-pork-summer-sausage.330085/)
• I section the "excess" sausage, shrink-wrap and deep-freeze.
• The sausage I am eating now came from the deep freeze...

This was the lowest temp I have done in the sous vide and for the longest time...

• Wondering if I need to go a bit higher sous vide temp/shorter time
• Wondering if the sausage wasn't fully "dried" during the smoking process - it was very cold and very windy
• Wondering...

Your jalapeño/cheddar summer sausage sounds delicious despite the cheese texture issue! The high-heat cheese can definitely get paste-like with prolonged low-temp cooking. A few thoughts:

1. Sous Vide Temp/Time: You might experiment with 145-150°F for 3-4 hours instead. The lower temp/longer time likely broke down the cheese’s structure more than expected. Tracking precise cook times (like with this calculo) could help compare batches.
2. Drying Phase: Cold/windy weather might’ve slowed moisture loss during smoking. A pre-smoke dry bloom in the fridge (uncovered, 12-24hrs) could help next time.
3. Cheese Alternatives: Some folks mix in powdered milk or starch to stabilize cheese texture in sausages.

Have you tried shredding the cheese instead of cubing it? Might distribute differently. Either way, glad it still tastes great—texture quirks aside